Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-12-22
The Red Light.

mere with q crutch. 90 ye'sT SAID old
Jim Perkins, the section foreman,
whose section ended at the little town
of P - on the South Shore Railroad,
to the ACCOMPANYING passenger with
whom he had struck up conversation
while they were both waiting on the
station platform for the eastbound pas
songer train.
He nodded his head as he spoke to-
ward girl sixteen or seventeen years
of age. who was hobbling up the road
toward the depot,
The passenger said he saw her and
Jim continued:
well. sir. that little girl is he no.
WINE. she's got more bravery in hor
than any two people t know on.
Sand! Why. she's got more sand than
the biggest mogul engine on the South
Shore Road. Ye don't see what
chance she has to show it. ell?
"WelL I'll tell We a story that'll open
yer eyes, Pm thinkin'; hold on till she
gets b."
How DIDO. Mary" he said, rs the
girl approached, and after acknowl-
edging his solutation she passed on
and stopped at the waiting-room door
at the farther end of the platform.
jim waated until sho had got out of
ear-shot. and then turning again to his
listener, proceeded with the story.
Twas two years ago. shortly arter
tux this ere section" he said. 'rhat
the thing happened. Mary her
names Mary Whceler-livcd over
there in that little house ye see, jest
this side o the big red barn with her
mother. a wilder, and her little sister.
Her brother Jack was express mes
senger on the late /. ~. No. 81. that
passed here ut lilo 1t night. He
boarded at Swanton, IT, nd o tbs d.
vision o the road au vas only at
home when lie got Il day ~.
The road was new at inc time, and
the gravel pits along the track hadn' t
been closed up yet They still had
gravel trains running, and the gang
that loaded the cars was IL lot of dirty,
nasty ltulians that herded together in
side track sum'arcs, or in shanties
built for 'cm by the company in the
pits.
'Dugan's pit is Just across the Lrestle
over cast there. and around the curve.
It's about half mile from here and
We can see il from the car window AS
80 pass.
'At that time about $50 Italians was
workIn' in Dugan's and about hum
tired GU 'cm lived III the shanty they
had between the main track and the
gravcl.pit side track.
They was hard set, and used to
have lots o rows up there nights, aud
specially payday nights. when they
gen all had II key or two o beer ut
the shanly and plenty of dago cussed-
neSs for ii to work on.
Some one o 'em was killed or
stabbed about every pay day night; but
Lord! Their wasn't any notice tuck of
'em. dead or alive, aud the town au.
thorticS Wouldn't o cared ii they d
all been murdered long. they fought
amongst 'emselyes. and didn't oher
no violence to white folks.
"Well. one payday night, Mary'd
ocen over to Jouny Jhompson's a
friend o her'n that lives down the
street a piece, and she was havin' such
Il good time that before she knew it
twas half a past ten o'clock.
90 course she got ready to 90 hum
Jenny offered to 90 halfway with her,
but she said she wasn't afraid. aud Ia.
kin her crutch she started out.
-Twasn't very dark aud she'd got
ulong all right till she can't the cor.
ner of Granger barn, when she saw
two men coming up the road toward
her.
She didn't think they'd seen her,
SO she stepped in under the shadder o
The carriage shed roof to let 'em pass.
They kim along till they got il
front o the shed. but stead o goin
by they turned in too. and for min
ute she was 'fraiG they'd seen her z,
in ami was foIlerin her.
But they hadn't; and 50 soon n
they got inside they began talKin' to
gether kind o low like not so low
though, but Mary could hear wha
they said. She was only bout fou
feet away, aud there was wagon be
tween the meu and he.
They were tramps. ma along witt
another of the same * they'd beer
slealin' q ride on the ront end o tn
baggage. car of No. /, he night before
when old Tom Bak r.. the conductor
spotted. EN-. and Wntn the train &C
here lie stopped and fired 'em of.
They were awful mad and they
made up their mind to get square wit
him. So they planned as how one {
EN- was to sneak down the road in tn
afternoon till he got past Dugan's pi
and hide in the woods there till afte
dark; then cum over to the track an
pile some ties on it, so S to wreck NJ
81 when she cum long. o. cour:
they'd light out after they'd had the
revenge and everybody think twas IL
drunken dagoes Z did it.
After they'd talked it all over an
arranged as how they was to 60 b
different routs to Swanton and me-
there again. they separated and wal
ed off
MARY had her mind made up. 81
knew that everybody in town had goi
TO bed by this time. and she was Il
only one that had any chance % saw
Jack and the other passengers on 81
There was an old red lantern
Jacks in the woodshed Of her hous
aud she hurried round and got it. s
fonnd match in the shed and lit I
lantern with it. Then she cum out
the road again and started for the d
pot.
Just as she struck the railro
tra.L tho moon yyant habina nh